Information on the number of children aged under one who were taken into care on an interim or full care order or under a police or emergency protection order in each year since 1992 is shown in Table 1. This information is not available prior to 1992. Of these, 3,000 children who were taken into care aged under one subsequently returned home between 2001 and 2006 to live with parents, relatives or other person with parental responsibility (excluding residence orders and special guardianship orders). Information on whether a child returned to live with their parents, relatives or other person with parental responsibility has only been collected since 1 April 2000. There is no comparable information prior to 2000.

In the case of all children subject to a care order, the reason they have become looked after is because the courts will have taken the view that the 'significant harm' threshold set out in the Children Act 1989 had been crossed. Information on the number of children looked after by local authorities who were placed in care aged under one in 1996 and in 2006 and for what reasons, is shown in Tables 2 and 3. The 'category of need' codes record the main reason why a child is being provided with services. This provides a further insight as to why a particular child is being looked after. Information on 'category of need' was first collected in April 2000 and provides further information as to why a child is being looked after. Data on 'category of need' is not strictly comparable with the 'reason for being looked after' information that was collected prior to 1 April 2000.

Table 1: Children who were taken into care on an interim or full care order and under a police or emergency protection order( 1)

England

Number

Year ending 31 March

Children taken into care under one on an interim or full care order and under a police or emergency protection order ( 2,3,4,5)

1992(6)

310

1993

730

1994

1,000

1995

1,200

1996

1,200

1997

1,300

1998(7)

1,400

1999

1,600

2000(7)

1,900

2001(7)

1,800

2002(7)

1,900

2003(7)

2,000

2004

2,000

2005

2,000

2006

2,100

(1). Source, DfES, SSDA903 return which between 1992 and 1997 and since 2004 covered all children looked after by local authorities. SSDA903 covered only a third of children looked after by local authorities between 1998 and 2003. (2). Figures for children looked after in this table exclude agreed series of short term placements (3.) To maintain the confidentiality of each individual child, data at national level are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 to the nearest 10 otherwise. (4). Historical data may differ from older publications. This is mainly due to the implementation of amendments and corrections sent by some local authorities after the publication date of previous materials. (5). Only the first occasion on which a child started to be looked after in the year has been counted. (6). The figure was for the period 14 October to 31 March 1992 this was due to the implementation of the Children Act 1989 (7). SSDA903 only covered a third of children looked after by local authorities

Table 2: Children aged under one who were placed in care during the year ending 31 March 1996 by reason for being looked after( 1,2,3)

England

Number

Reason for being looked after

1996( 4,5)

All Children who started to be looked after aged under one

3,300

No parents

10

Abandoned or lost

70

Family or child homeless

20

Parent(s) in prison

40

Breakdown of adoptive family

—

Preliminary to adoption

390

Parent's health

400

Parents/families need relief

—

- child with disabilities

10

- other

480

Abuse or neglect

1,300

Concern for child's welfare

310

Own behaviour

30

Accused or guilty of an offence

0

At request of child

0

Other

270

(1). Source, DfES, SSDA903 return which in 1996 covered all children looked after by local authorities. (2). Only the first occasion on which a child started to be looked after in the year has been counted. (3). Figures for children looked after in this table exclude agreed series of short term placements. (4). To maintain the confidentiality of each individual child, data at national level are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 to the nearest 10 otherwise. (5). Historical data may differ from older publications. This is mainly due to the implementation of amendments and corrections sent by some local authorities after the publication date of previous materials.

Table 3: Children aged under one who were placed in care during the year ending 31 March 2006 by category of need ( 1,2,3)

England

Number

Category of need

2006(4,5)

All children who started to be looked after aged under one

4,300

Abuse or neglect

2,800

Child's Disability

40

Parental illness or disability

310

Family in acute stress

320

Family dysfunction

470

Socially Unacceptable behaviour

10

Low income

10

Absent parenting

270

(1). Source, DfES, SSDA903 return which in 2006 covered all children looked after by local authorities. (2). Only the first occasion on which a child started to be looked after in the year has been counted. (3). Figures for children looked after in this table exclude agreed series of short term placements. (4). To maintain the confidentiality of each individual child, data at national level are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 to the nearest 10 otherwise. (5). Historical data may differ from older publications. This is mainly due to the implementation of amendments and corrections sent by some local authorities after the publication date of previous materials.